Every furnace has a useful life. Customarily, when the end of that useful life at least becomes close, that furnace must be replaced. In that case, the cost of the new furnace becomes a serious consideration. When the furnace is used on a commercial style building, the increased size of the furnace required to heat such a building greatly adds to the cost of the furnace. Thus, to replace that furnace requires that a great expense be incurred. It thus becomes a clear advantage to determine whether the furnace can be repaired efficiently or not.
The major problem with a furnace is the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger consists of the series of tubes, which carry air past a heating device, to form heated air and ultimately warm a desired area. The tubes of a heat exchanger are arranged in series of 180 degree arcs to save space and provide for more efficient heating. Yet it is at the arcs that corrosion and other defects are most likely to occur. Those defects require replacement of the furnace under current conditions.
More particularly, those defects form undesired apertures in the heat exchanger, thereby leading to at least an undesirable, if not deadly concentration of carbon monoxide or other undesired gases in areas required for human use. When such defects occur, an efficient repair is much more cost effective than a complete replacement of the furnace or heat exchanger.
The furnace repair device and method must also be adaptable to the size of the furnace needing repair. It is known to be difficult to find an appropriate size furnace repair device and method for a commercial furnace or a residential furnace. A commercial furnace repair system is most valuable, yet the most difficult system to achieve.